Liver hemangioma is a benign mass of enlarged and actively dividing blood vessels. Liver hemangioma is asymptomatic in most individuals, but it may cause bleeding and disruption of liver function depending on the size and location of the tumor. While the exact cause of liver hemangioma is unknown, researchers at Yale Medical Group believe that in some cases it is an autosomal dominant disease, meaning that if one parent carries the gene there is a 50 percent chance of passing the trait from that parent to a child.
Genetics
According to Children's Hospital Boston, about 10 percent of infants who develop liver hemangioma have a family history of the disease. While the exact cause of liver hemangioma is unknown, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard School of Dental Medicine believe it is caused by a genetic mutation in fetal stem cells destined to become endothelial cells, which line the interior of blood vessels.
Hormone Therapy
Research has shown that steroid and estrogen therapy as well as pregnancy can exacerbate the growth of preexisting liver hemangiomas. While the exact mechanism by which hormones influence the growth of hemangioma is not known, pregnancy and estrogen-based medications can cause liver hemangiomas to grow.
Melanocytes
Hepatic hemangioma occurs more often in Caucasian children as opposed to their African-American counterparts. It is theorized that hemangiomas are more prevalent among Caucasians because they lack melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation. While the exact mechanism is unknown, it is theorized that melanocytes hinder the development of hemangiomas.
